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First text on multiple perpetrator rape launched

12/04/2013

The ‘Handbook on the Study of Multiple Perpetrator Rape’ edited by Mdx Prof Miranda Horvath and Dr Jessica Woodhams is the first text that focuses on rape committed by multiple individuals, a topic which has recently featured in the media widely after a number of high profile international cases.

The 'Handbook on the Study of Multiple Perpetrator Rape' edited by Middlesex University's Professor Miranda Horvath and Dr Jessica Woodhams (University of Birmingham) is the first text that focuses on rape committed by multiple individuals, also referred to as gang rape, a topic which has recently featured in the media widely after a number of high profile international cases.

The book brings together international multi-disciplinary perspectives and covers a number of different aspects of multiple perpetrator rape including different contexts in which it occurs such as gangs, war, fraternities, South Africa; experiences of females as victims and perpetrators; offence characteristics such as leadership and role taking, aggression and violence; the importance of group size; the prosecution of offenders; and approaches to prevention.

The handbook is comprised of chapters written by leading academics in the field and practitioners, uniquely combining research, practice and new data. Other Middlesex researchers are amongst those who have contributed, Dr Jackie Gray co-wrote a chapter with Miranda on Multiple Perpetrator Rape in the courtroom and their PhD student Mackenzie Lambine's chapter focused on the importance of group size in these offences.

Middlesex University's Professor Miranda Horvath said: "We see this collection as a starting point, we want to continue to work collaboratively to improve our understanding of, and responses to, multiple perpetrator rape. We strive to challenge the cultural norms that support multiple perpetrator rape and ultimately, to prevent it."

Reviews of the book include Professor Jennifer Brown, London School of Economics and Social Sciences, UK, who said: "Miranda Horvath and Jessica Woodhams have assembled an impressive array of material making innovative and prescient contributions when thinking about and tackling the emergent problem of multiple perpetrator rape."

Miranda and her colleagues are offering a series of British Psychological Society (BPS) accredited workshops looking at different aspects of sexual violence throughout 2013, including one on preventing sexual violence at the BPS headquarters.